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Some more examples of the varied artwork found on board the FINNMARKEN.

The painting below depicts the city of Bergen about a century ago and graces the Finnstuen Club Room on deck 4.

All the way forward on deck 4 you will find a number of public rooms where the Art Nouveau theme is best noticed. On port side, next to the Shore Excursion office, is the Finnstuen Club Room. A cross between a card room and library, Finnstuen is a little gem of a room, decorated in purples and dark woods. Comfortable "grandma" wing chairs with a modern twist will appeal to passenger looking for some peace & quiet.  

Right next door is the 135-seat Fløybaren, the ship's forward watering hole. The burgundy and brown color scheme make this a rather dark room, that will probably work fabulously at night when the bar opens. During the day, it feels a little closed in, with a lot of tables and chairs thrown together. Named after one of the mountain tops surrounding the town of Bergen, the Fløybaren features some interesting art work. Century-old black and white photos of Bergen are framed next to stark modernistic oil paintings by Kjell Nupen. The result is daring and untraditional - fascinating!

The Fløybaren serves as a throughfare for the Conference Center, consisting of four separate rooms that can be combined to form one large room seating 200 persons in comfort. The Hurtigruten ships are frequently used for conferences and seminars: it must be difficult for the conference guests to stop looking out of the window and concentrate on business! 

I've saved the best for last. My favorite room on FINNMARKEN is the 340-seat Finmarken Dining Room. Here, interior architect Arne Johansen has gone all out and created a room that is a mix of several styles. From ivory-looking columns to the royal blue fabric of the dining room chairs: the result is simply gorgeous. Large windows make sure that you won't miss a second of scenery: in fact, at the very aft end of the room, the windows are even larger and the location arguably more elegant: ask for one of these tables when you are on board!

Meals are included in the fare for roundtrip guests, and breakfast and lunch are served buffet style. The dinner menu is simple, but varies daily and emphasizes all that Norway is famous for: a heaven for fish lovers! There is no midnight buffet, no room service, no formal dress. After all, this is no run-of-the-mill cruise ship!

With FINNMARKEN, the Norwegian Coastal route has moved another step towards a "real" cruise experience. The ship is downright gorgeous, and through ingenious design her cargo-handling capacities have all but disappeared from the untrained eye. This is a strong ship, constructed to withstand the harshest of Nordic winters. With inspiring artwork, high quality fabrics and furniture and some excellent public rooms, FINNMARKEN feels like a comfortable, casual yet rather elegant home away from home.

It will be interesting to see if and when FINNMARKEN will be sent out on voyages farther afield by her owners. This winter, when the north of Norway has to do without sunlight for months in a row, older fleet mate NORDNORGE will test the waters of Argentina, Chile and Antarctica on a series of wildly fascinating cruises, and my guess is that FINNMARKEN will soon follow. With her expansive sun decks, her outdoor pool and spa, she is really suited for a cruising role in off-season, only to return to her home waters when daylight is returning.

After all, what better way is there to enjoy the scenic splendor of the Land of the Midnight Sun than booking passage on this ship for what the brochures call "The Most Beautiful Voyage in the World"!